Changes to Java platform updates

I don't know if this affects Trainz or not (possibly not) but Oracle have announced changes to their public releases of Java 8 updates. Java SE/SDK is used by some games platforms and it has to be present on your system for those games to work.

Basically, free Java 8 updates for commercial customers, such as game developers, will cease in January 2019. After that date commercial customers must have a licence to continue to receive the updates.

Free Java 8 updates for non-commercial uses, such as your home PC, will continue until the end of 2020.

As of last September Oracle have moved to a LTS (Long Term Support) model for Java with new LTS versions released every 3 years - the current Java 8 was released Sept 2017 so December 2020 will be the end of a three year LTS cycle.

From what I could understand from the labyrinth of documents and links provided as "support" for this new distribution system, Oracle seems to be stating that they be relying more on the commercial developers, i.e. game developers, to distribute the updates to their clients.

Perhaps someone else can make some sense of this release from Oracle - http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/eol-135779.html

Basically in summary... Oracle will be moving further away from public contact and rely on its development partners to supply any updates.

I think Java its self is on its way out as a development platform overall due to its inherent issues it has had over the years. What started out as a sandboxed environment, became a security risk as holes were made in it because its lack of features initially. Is this a total loss? I don't think so. In the past 3 years, I have run only one Java application once and not since that time because the developer has moved on from that platform.

Java applications are also slow, and with other much faster performing applications, Java has found its self on the legacy track on the way to the bone yard.

Java and java script are a large part of my daily work (plus HTML and CSS). I guess I better start hitting the books so as not to become a dinosaur! Maybe I can go back to COBOL. :hehe:

Java is very much the programming language used in Android app development. Google has shown no inclination that they wish the foregoing situation to change in the near future. The exception to the foregoing would be that "kotlin" a language based on Java has been added to the Android studio for developers use if they so choose.

Android app revenue worldwide, represents 80% of that total 50.4 billion dollar mobile gaming market. PC gaming sales worldwide total 32.3 billion dollars, while console gaming has similar revenue at 33.3 billion dollars.

The above breakdown in percentage terms of the total worldwide 116 billion dollar gaming market is Mobile gaming 43%, PC gaming 28% and console 29%.

Therefore Java is without doubt one of the most widely used programming languages in the world. In that, with the strength of the Android platform outstripping all other platforms in terms of growth, the use of Java is unlikely to change as Android is now the only platform that small companies and individuals can get their apps into a large market.

The above figures are for the 2017 calendar year up to financial quarter Q3 provided by NewZoo market analysis

Bill

All facts and figures that are totally irrelevant for Trainz and Trainz game players!

Rob.